CBS News February 21, 2018, 10:03 AM
Billy Graham, renowned evangelist, dead at 99
The Rev. Billy Graham, whose sermons were broadcast in churches around the country, died Wednesday morning at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, his nonprofit organization announced. He was 99.
President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence took to Twitter to note Graham's death.
"The GREAT Billy Graham is dead," Mr. Trump said. "There was nobody like him! He will be missed by Christians and all religions. A very special man."
Pence said he and his wife Karen were saddened by the news.
"We send our deepest condolences to the Graham family," the vice president said. "Billy Graham's ministry for the gospel of Jesus Christ and his matchless voice changed the lives of millions. We mourn his passing but I know with absolute certainty that today he heard those words, 'well done good and faithful servant.' Thank you Billy Graham. God bless you."
In the summer of 2005, Graham preached at what he called his "Final Crusade."
Graham said: "Deep inside we need something else. And that something else can be brought about by Jesus."
"When I touch the podium, I can feel a new strength and a new power come and it's a thrilling thing for me to preach the gospel at this age," Graham said.
The three-day event in New orkCity ws the culmination of a lifetime of evangelism -- seven decades of spreading the gospel to more than 200 million people in 185 countries around the world.
Graham once said: "Jesus Christ, the son of God, has an answer to every problem that you face!"
Raised in the fundamentalist faith of his native North Carolina, Graham dedicated his life to Christ when he was 16, and was ordained a Baptist minister in 1939. He created his own brand of populist evangelism. His "crusades," as he called them, were soon attracting millions in person and later through television.
"We are united, and are ready to march under the banner of almighty God, taking as our slogan that which we have on our coins, 'In God We Trust,'" Graham once said.
Before long, Graham set his sights on the rest of the world, and took his "crusades" to Europe, Africa, India, the Far East. A staunch anti-communist, one of his cherished ambitions was to bring the gospel message to the officially atheist countries behind the Iron Curtain.
"I would say 80 to 90 percent of the Russian people believe in God. And they've had communism now for all these many years, but it-- they still believe in God," Graham said.
37 Photos
The Rev. Billy Graham 1918-2018
The evangelist preached to multitudes and presidents, with "crusades" that spanned six decades and covered the globe
Graham's wife, Ruth, the daughter of medical missionaries, was raised in China. In 1988, the Grahams traveled there to encourage its fledgling Christian community.
"You have a great modernization program in China, and it's my prayer that there will be a great moral modernization program -- program, also," Graham said.
Graham became a counselor and confidante to every American president from Harry Truman to Barack Obama, but Graham himself denied he had a role in making policy. He said: "I don't advise them, I pray with them."
He blessed their inaugurations, dedicated their libraries and presided over their funerals.
"You know, few events touch the heart of every American as profoundly as the death of a president. For the president is our leader. And every American feels that he knows him in a very special way," Graham said.
View Gallery
Former Presidents George H.W. Bush, left; Bill Clinton, second left; and Jimmy Carter, right, pose with evangelist Billy Graham and his son Franklin Graham, second right, before the Billy Graham Library dedication on the campus of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in Charlotte, North Carolina, May 31, 2007.
Reuters/Chris Keane
Graham's friendship with Richard Nixon dated back to the early 1950s, but it was tested by the Watergate scandal and the release of secretly recorded White House tapes.
"I'd never heard him use any of those words. I didn't know he knew them, some of them that came out on the tapes," Graham said.
Despite his proximity to power, Graham was resolutely nonpartisan, fearing that political favoritism would damage his ministry -- a ministry that was never touched by the kind of scandal that destroyed those of televangelists like Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart.
Graham's ethics and his emphasis on cooperation among different faiths earned him widespread respect.
In moments of national crisis, such as the Oklahoma City bombing, Graham was sought out for his ability to comfort and console with simplicity and eloquence.
"We've been reminded that a cruel event like this, which so vividly demonstrates the depths of human evil, also brings out the best of us," Graham said.
View Gallery
Billy Graham, the American evangelist, pounds his knee as he is interviewed aboard the SS United States on Feb. 26, 1954, upon his arrival in Southampton, England, from New York.
AFP/Getty Images
Former presidents honored Graham by attending the dedication of his library in North Carolina.
It is there that he will be laid to rest alongside his wife, Ruth. They were married 64 years. At her funeral he said, "We were called by God as a team."
Graham looked ahead to the end of his life with enormous faith.
Graham said: "I've been asked so many times lately, do I fear death? No! I look forward to death, with great anticipation. I'm looking forward to seeing God face to face." SEE VIDEO, TWEETS ; https://www.cbsnews.com/news/billy-graham-dead-99-wednesday-morning-2018-02-21/

Toy makers turn to the toilet for poop-inspired toys
by JOSEPH PISANI, AP Retail Writer
Wednesday, February 21st 2018
Flushin' Frenzy from Mattel is on display at Toy Fair in New York on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018. Reflexes and a toilet plunger combine to make a plastic poop fly. Mattel, a company best known for its clean-cut Barbie dolls, is set to release a game called Flushin' Frenzy that sends a brown plastic poop flying into the air. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
NEW YORK (AP) — Toy makers have gone to the toilet for their latest creations.
Mattel, a company best known for its clean-cut Barbie dolls, is set to release a game called Flushin' Frenzy that sends a brown plastic poop flying into the air.
Rival Hasbro, whose water-squirting game Toilet Trouble was a hit last year, stuck with the potty humor this year and released Don't Step In It, a game where players are blindfolded and have to avoid stepping in poop that's molded out of a clay-like substance.
Toy analysts and experts say the potty-related toys are hitting stores now because of the popularity of the poop emoji, which has also made it more acceptable for parents to buy poop toys for their kids. At the New York Toy Fair this weekend, toy makers showed off poo-shaped action figures, squishy toys and other creatures from the toilet.
Yeah, poop is a theme," says Juli Lennett, the toy analyst at market research company The NPD Group. "Kids think it's funny."
Sticky the Poo, a squishy likeness with eyes, clings to walls and ceilings when thrown. The company behind it, Hog Wild, also sells a rainbow version called Sticky Unicorn Poo. Its Sticky the Plunger is sold separately.
Don't Step In It from Hasbro is displayed at the Toy Fair in New York on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018. Players place mounds of brown compound on the game mat, then take turns spinning the spinner to find out how many steps to take across the mat while blindfolded. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
There's poo for collectors, too. Flush Force, by toy maker Spin Master, sells 150 nickel-sized mutant critters that kids can collect. Poopeez, meanwhile, makes tiny squishy collectibles with character names such as Pooji, Skid Mark and Dumpling.
Poopeez are aimed at boys aged 7-years-old and up, says Ashley Mady, who created Poopeez and works for toy company Basic Fun. But she thinks the appeal will spread.
"We really believe poop is for everyone," she says. SEE VIDEOS, TWEETS ; http://wjactv.com/news/offbeat/toy-makers-turn-to-the-toilet-for-poop-inspired-toys-02-21-2018-130624017

Man sought in drug delivery resulting in death in Jefferson County, officials say
by Matthew Stevens
Wednesday, February 21st 2018
PUNXSUTAWNEY - State police in Punxsutawney said they are looking for man who is wanted on several charges, including drug delivery resulting in death.
According to state police, they are looking for Ryan Saline, 32, of Treasure Lake Road in DuBois.
Saline is described as standing 6 feet tall and weighing 210 pounds. He has blue eyes and brown hair.
According to court documents, on August 31, 2017 police were called to a home on Route 322 just outside of Punxsutawney for a deceased 29-year-old man.
According to the complaint, the victim's sister told police that her and her brother met up at Saline's home in DuBois the night before where he gave them marijuana and the three bags of stamped heroin.
Tests were conducted on the heroin residue from two of the bags of heroin contained fetanyl, according to police.
Police said if you see Saline, use caution as he has resisted arrest in the past.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call state police at 814-938-0510. SEE WARRANT ; http://wjactv.com/news/local/man-sought-in-drug-delivery-resulting-in-death-in-jefferson-county-officials-say

BREAKING: State Police Seeking Public’s Help in Locating Fugitive Wanted on Drug Delivery Resulting in Death
February 21, 2018 12:56 pm·
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (EYT) – The Pennsylvania State Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a fugitive from justice.
Punxsutawney-based State Police are currently seeking 32-year-old Ryan Keith Saline, of 10584 Treasure Lake Road, DuBois, Pa.
Saline is 6’0″, weighing approximately 210 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.
A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
He has been charged with drug delivery resulting in the death of a Jefferson County man.
If you have any information on Saline’s whereabouts, please call 911 or PSP-Punxsutawney at 814-938-0510.
Caution should be used, as Saline has resisted arrest in the past. http://www.explorejeffersonpa.com/breaking-state-police-seeking-publics-help-in-locating-fugitive-wanted-on-drug-delivery-resulting-in-death/

The Ross Leffler School of Conservation was dedicated in 1932 on ground outside of Brockway, Pa., Jefferson County. In 1987 The Game Commission moved the school to Harrisburg,Pa. , When it was moved heard they had a very large fund tucked away for this move. The first class started with 35 men and 27 graduated in 1936. Here is cost of license for resident adult for 2017-2018 period -- $20.90. Archery - $16.90. Muzzle Loader - $11.90. Spring Turkey Season - $21.90. Bear - $16.90. Started past season Pheasant License -$26.00. Hunting Digest which came with license is now $6.00. or can print out.. This booklet had many, many advertisements in book.

Airline ticket agent saves 2 teens from suspected trafficking plot: 'It didn't feel right'
by Aliyah Frumin / Feb.20.2018 / 12:02 AM ET / Source: Today
An American Airlines agent in California is being hailed for her quick thinking after she prevented two teens from falling into a suspected human trafficking plot when she stopped them from boarding a cross-country flight.
Denice Miracle, 47, of Roseville, California, said she was immediately suspicious when the two young girls approached her ticket counter at Sacramento International Airport last August. There was no parent with them, they had no identification, and each had a one-way first class ticket.
“It just didn’t feel right,” Miracle, who has been working as a customer service agent for 28 years, told TODAY.
American Airlines ticket agent Denise Miracle, left, and Deputy Todd Sanderson of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department Airport Bureau. Miracle is credited with saving two teens from human trafficking. Courtesy of American Airlines
“They were young and by themselves. It’s unusual to get teens traveling that far by themselves … One of the girls was texting someone on the phone to get answers. They had small bags, and I initially thought they were running away from home.”
Miracle became even more concerned when the girls’ tickets were flagged for potential credit card fraud.
She told the teens, who were 15 and 17, that something was wrong with their tickets and to just hang out. Meanwhile, she called the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department Airport Bureau.
Authorities soon learned the girls met a man named “Drey” on Instagram. He invited them to New York City for the weekend to earn $2,000 to perform in music videos and do some modeling. The teens didn’t know their tickets were one-way, and when officials tried to get in touch with “Drey,” he deleted his account.
Former sex-crime prosecutors reveal warning signs of human trafficking
08:2
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Sergeant Scott Swisher confirmed the case was a suspected case of child trafficking. Swisher said the phone number "Drey" was using was likely a Google phone number, so it couldn't be tracked down.
"We don't believe his real name was Drey," Swisher said.
The girls later returned home. Miracle’s quick thinking may have saved the girls from serious harm, American Airlines general manager Aleka Turner told TODAY.
“I’m proud of Denice and how she put her training into action to save these children,” Turner said in a statement. “She is a testament to the critical role our frontline team members play each and every day in the operation and the lives of each person they come in contact with.”
Miracle told TODAY that, just this week, one of the girl’s mothers reached out to her on Facebook to thank her.
How a dating app led a woman into the nightmare of human trafficking
06:22
“That was my 15-year-old daughter,” the mom wrote, according to Miracle. “There are no words to express our gratitude to you. Thank you. Because of you, my daughter is home safe with her family where she is loved and belongs.”
“It’s just heartwarming. It makes me feel really good, and I’m glad they’re safe,” Miracle added.
Unfortunately, according to Mary Frances Bowley, founder of Wellspring Living, an organization fighting childhood exploitation, the two teens’ experience isn’t unusual.
“That is a typical scenario about how traffickers will lure girls or trick girls into believe there is something better for them using the internet and many different apps,” Bowley said.
"It may be vulnerable girls who may not have the support they need or may have just had an argument with their family who are looking for something … They are looking for someone and somehow to belong.” SEE VIDEOS ; https://www.today.com/news/american-airlines-ticket-agent-saves-teens-trafficking-t123484

HEALTH
21 hours ago
Capsule against peanut allergy passes first clinical trial, ignites hope
By Adam Feuerstein | Stat News
Aimmune Therapeutics expects to seek U.S. approval for its preventative peanut allergy therapy by the end of the year. (iStock)
An experimental treatment aimed at helping people with severe peanut allergy scored a clinical win Tuesday, putting it in line to possibly become the first drug to provide meaningful protection against accidental exposure.
Based on the positive results, Aimmune Therapeutics expects to seek U.S. approval for its preventative peanut allergy therapy by the end of the year, with a European filing in 2019, the company said.
Aimmune shares were up 20 percent Tuesday morning in premarket trading.
RESEARCHERS INCH CLOSER TO PEANUT ALLERGY 'CURE'
The company’s lead product, AR101, is a capsule filled with a precise, measured quantity of peanut flour. The capsules are opened and mixed into food. The idea is simple: Expose people to small, escalating doses of ingestible peanut protein over time with the goal of desensitizing them enough to prevent severe reactions.
Aimmune is trying to standardize a peanut allergy protection method already tried on an ad hoc basis.
AR101 proved highly effective in a phase 3 clinical trial known as PALISADE. The results: 67 percent of patients ages 4 to 17 tolerated at least a 600-mg dose of peanut protein at the end of the study, compared with 4 percent of placebo patients.
Six hundred milligrams of peanut protein is roughly the equivalent of two peanuts or a child-sized bite from a peanut butter sandwich. The patients entered the study not being able to tolerate exposure to 10 percent of a single peanut.
FEEDING YOUR BABY THIS PEANUT POWDER MAY HELP PREVENT A PEANUT ALLERGY
To meet the FDA requirements for approval, AR101 had to beat placebo by a biostatistical cushion of at least 15 percent. Aimmune cleared this statistical hurdle easily with a 53 percent difference.
There were some safety concerns in the study. Twenty percent of the AR101 patients and 6.5 percent of the placebo patients discontinued from the trial. Among AR101 patients, 12 percent discontinued due to adverse events, including gastrointestinal side effects.
Ten AR101 patients, or just under 3 percent, left the study because of systemic allergic hypersensitivity reactions. Of these, seven patients were deemed by their doctors to have experienced potentially serious allergic reactions known as anaphylaxis, including one severe case.
Anyone with school age children knows peanut allergy is a serious and prevalent health problem. It’s estimated that between 1.5 million to 2 million people under 18 in the U.S. have peanut allergy. Apart from scrupulous peanut avoidance, there are no approved treatments for people at risk for severe allergic reaction if exposed to even trace amounts of peanut protein.
There is no cure for peanut allergy. A “peace of mind” treatment would still be commercially lucrative, with potential peak sales exceeding $1 billion annually, analysts forecast. DBV Technologies and AnaptysBio are also developing peanut allergy vaccines. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2018/02/20/capsule-against-peanut-allergy-passes-first-clinical-trial-ignites-hope.html

POLITICS
4 hours ago
Anti-gun laws force cancellation of Revolutionary War reenactment in California
By Gregg Re | Fox News
Revolutionary War reenactors cross the Delaware River between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. (Reuters)
Revolutionary War reenactors are accustomed to not firing until they see the whites of their enemy's eyes. But in California, they may soon need to learn not to fire at all.
Park officials in Elk Grove, just south of Sacramento, have forced a historical society to abruptly cancel a long-planned, two-day Revolutionary War reenactment, citing local anti-gun laws, the Elk Grove Citizen reported.
Instead of muskets, officials reportedly requested an alternative: wooden sticks.
The Elk Grove Historical Society, which was told by the park district at the end of last year that their black powder muskets could not be fired, decided against using sticks and canceled the reenactment, according to local reports.
The event, which was in the works for more than nine months, was set to begin in April. The society had reportedly already begun printing promotional materials.
City law prohibits citizens from using, maintaining, possessing, or firing "any firearm."
Members of the historical society said their predicament was perplexing and disappointing.
"It’s just frustrating, very frustrating,” Jim Entrican, the facilities manager for the society, told KOVR-TV.
Entrican said officials had made exceptions for reenactments in parks in previous years.
“They actually asked us if we can use wooden sticks, and can you see 12 men in full regalia and another 12 charging with wooden sticks saying ‘Bang bang!’? It just doesn’t have the same effect,” he said.
The group, which had planned to attract as many as 3,000 spectators to the park, said it is working with officials on changing local ordinances before their next reenactment.
Entrican told the Elk Grove Citizen that the rules will be amended and that "it's going to be OK" to hold the event next year. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/02/21/anti-gun-laws-force-cancellation-revolutionary-war-reenactment-in-california.html

Troopers buy $600 plane ticket to help distraught woman get home for Florida shooting vigil
Posted on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 by CNN in National News
Jordana Judson lives in New York. But when she heard about the Florida school shooting last week, it hit close to home.
Judson, 23, graduated from Florida State University, which had a school shooting a few years ago. She also is a 2012 graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, where 17 students and faculty were killed last Wednesday.
Her family friend Meadow Pollack was among them. After she heard the news, all Judson wanted to do was go home to South Florida and be with her family.
“Everyone (in the community) knows somebody involved somehow,” she said. Pollack, 18, was the sister of Judson’s brother’s best friend, and Pollack’s dad has been a father figure to Judson’s family. “Meadow’s dad helped raise my brother.”
Judson didn’t find out until last Thursday, the day after the shooting, that Pollack was killed. She immediately knew she had to get home in time for the funeral, and for a candlelight vigil Thursday night.
But she might never have made it if it wasn’t for two generous New York state troopers.
‘I just got out of the car and I started crying’
Judson, who works in public relations, began searching for flights online, hoping it would be a quick and affordable process. It wasn’t. Thinking that dealing with the issue in person would be easier, she drove to LaGuardia Airport.
She didn’t even pack a bag. But in the time it took her to get to the airport, the only remaining seat on the flight she was looking at had sold.
“I just got out of the car and I started crying because I realized this (flight) was the only thing separating me from New York and Florida,” she said.
On the way into the terminal Judson ran into the troopers — Robert Troy and Thomas Karasinski — who noticed she looked upset. They offered to help.
She explained her situation and that she was trying to buy a last-minute airline ticket to Florida. She wasn’t sure she or her family could afford it.
Judson went to the ticket counter and called her mother in tears, trying to find a way to make the flight work. And then Troy and Karasinski showed up again.
“I’m on the phone with my mom,” she said. “And I look up and they were handing over their credit cards.”
The one-way ticket cost more than $600. Judson told the officers they didn’t have to do it.
“It’s already done,” one of them said.
In a phone interview with CNN, Judson said she has volunteered for several community organizations in Parkland, worked with special needs children and taught dance classes for kids who could not afford a studio.
“I spent my whole life giving back,” she said.
So maybe good karma can explain what the troopers did for her.
‘A selfless act of humanity’
Her JetBlue flight landed about 4:30 p.m. in West Palm Beach. The vigil in Parkland started at 6.
Judson made it in time.
Asked Tuesday about his efforts on her behalf, Karasinski said that as a state trooper he’s never paid so much out of his own pocket to help someone.
There was no discussion between him and Troy beforehand, he said.
The two officers decided on the spot to split the cost of Judson’s flight and help her get home to her family. They just figured it was the right thing to do.
“I can guarantee that any other law enforcement agency would do the same thing if they were in my shoes,” Karasinski said.
Still, Judson said she was floored by their generosity and compassion.
“It was just a selfless, great act of humanity that they didn’t have to do,” she said. https://gantdaily.com/2018/02/20/troopers-buy-600-plane-ticket-to-help-distraught-woman-get-home-for-florida-shooting-vigil/

Auditor General Putting Pa. Game Commission Under Microscope
February 21, 2018 12:24 am·
HARRISBURG – Auditor General Eugene DePasquale announced Tuesday the beginning of a performance audit of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the agency responsible for managing the commonwealth’s wildlife resources.
“I look forward to working with Game Commission leadership in this audit, which will be an independent assessment of the commission’s revenue and expenditures,” DePasquale said. “Through my review, I will evaluate the commission to ensure its resources are being used to benefit the millions of Pennsylvanians who enjoy hunting, trapping and other outdoor recreational activities.
“This is the first performance audit of the Game Commission in nearly a decade,” DePasquale said. “My team will conduct a thorough audit that I anticipate will be completed late this year.”
The audit will cover July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2017, focusing on the following objectives:
– For each fiscal year:
-Identify and analyze all sources of commission revenue;
-Identify and analyze all commission expenditures; and
-Determine each fund’s year-end balance, including any and all money held in escrow or restricted accounts.
– Determine if expenditures, including the acquisition of property, were in compliance with applicable laws, including but not limited to the fiscal affairs and property and building aspects of the Game and Wildlife Code and any associated regulations.
In addition to licensing hunters and trappers, the Game Commission owns nearly 1.5 million acres of state game lands in 65 counties.
The Pa. Game Commission has had its difficulties as the state’s population continues to shrink and hunter numbers have fallen drastically over the last 25 years.
It also hasn’t had a hunting license increase since 1999 as state legislators have sidestepped the issue numerous times.
The Commission closed two pheasant farms at the end of 2016, resulting in the loss of 14 jobs and fewer pheasants for hunters to pursue.
The commission also manages wild birds and mammals, develops wildlife habitats, and works with private landowners to provide free access to their land for hunting and trapping.
The commission is almost entirely supported by hunters and trappers license dollars as well as money made from timber or coal sales and natural gas leases. http://www.explorejeffersonpa.com/auditor-general-putting-pa-game-commission-under-microscope/